BUS 414: Strategic Performance Measurement: Accounting Measures for Leaders Spring 2012 MW 2:00-3:20 pm

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1 BUS 414: Strategic Performance Measurement: Accounting Measures for Leaders Spring 2012 MW 2:00-3:20 pm Professor Paula A. Wilson, PhD, CPA Office: McIntyre 111B Office Phone: (253) Office Hours: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 11:10 am- 12:00 pm, Wednesday 3:30-4:00 pm Course Description: This course is a managerial accounting elective and focuses on information for decision making and strategy execution. It addresses the important question, what is it that business leaders need to know about measurement? Accounting centers on measurement and communication, whether that be the measurement of historical transactions or the measurement of future opportunities. The course will integrate fundamental managerial accounting topics with strategic analysis to demonstrate how accounting information is used by leaders within organizations to make decisions and to evaluate the impact of decisions on various stakeholder groups. The course involves a balance between producing accounting information to support decision making and using the information in decision contexts to evaluate performance. Required Materials 1. Text: (1) Management Accounting: Information for Decision Making and Strategy Execution by Anthony Atkinson, Robert S. Kaplan, Ella Mae Matsumura, and S. Mark Young, Sixth Edition, 2012, Pearson Education, Inc. (2) For review of financial accounting and for an excellent introduction to the mechanics of accounting, Financial Accounting by Hoyle and Skender, Flatworld Knowledge, is available for free online. Go to and search for University of Puget Sound, BUS 205. You may read it for free by selecting from the "Choose Book Option" menu next to the course information on the results page. BUS 414 Syllabus S2012 (1) Professor Paula A. Wilson, PhD, CPA Page 1 of 6

2 2. Wall Street Journal: A subscription to the Wall Street Journal is highly recommended. This is the real world s accounting and finance textbook. Business people read this every day. You may receive up to 20 free- floating homework points for presenting RELEVANT articles from the Wall Street Journal or other financial news source. Each brief (2-5 minute) presentation will earn up to five points. You have access to almost real- time articles from the WSJ through the UPS library research gateway through the main library site. 3. Calculator: You need a calculator for basic math functions and you need to bring it to class every day. YOU MAY NOT USE YOUR PHONE CALCULATOR IN CLASS! SO MAKE SURE TO GET A CALCULATOR AND BRING IT STARTING ON DAY 1. If you think you may wish to take more finance or accounting courses, get a financial calculator. (Get one of the two that are allowed for the CFA exam- you can find these online). You do not need a financial calculator for this class. Course Requirements: Exams: There will be two in- class exams during the semester. Both exams emphasize application of concepts presented in class and in the readings and will require critical thinking. Students are allowed one side of one 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper with hand- written notes for the in- class exams. Conflict tests are generally not available, so schedule your other commitments, including travel, around the dates listed. No make- up exams will be given without a written excuse (such as a doctor s note) for the original absence. All make- up exams must be completed within one week of the original exam date. The same material will be covered on a make- up, but the format may be different. If you do not inform me before the scheduled test and you miss an in- class test, you will receive a zero for that test. Homework: There will be homework assignments required throughout the course. Homework will include discussion questions that will be ed or distributed in class, or problems or cases from the text. You are responsible for knowing what homework is due and when it is due. I am not responsible for reminding you about homework, especially if you were absent on the day it was assigned. Different homework assignments will have different preparation times and point totals. Some will be due the class following their assignment or distribution for homework not from the text, and some will be due later. The exact number of homework assignments will vary according to BUS 414 Syllabus S2012 (1) Professor Paula A. Wilson, PhD, CPA Page 2 of 6

3 my interpretation of your degree of comfort with the material. Some of these homework assignments will be old test questions, so that you can get an idea of what the tests are like. Homework is due at the beginning of class on the due date. NO LATE HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED. This means you may NOT turn homework in to my box in the office, unless it is turned in before the beginning of class on the date it is due. ALL PAPERS TURNED IN TO MY BOX MUST HAVE THE DATE AND TIME WRITTEN ON IT BY THE DEPARTMENT SECRETARY. We will not be dropping a homework score in this course. Your homework grade will be determined by forming the following ratio: (points earned on assignments)/(total points available on assignments). For example, say you had the following homework scores: Assignment Total Points Your Points Based on the above, your homework grade would be (38)/(45) = 84%. You may work with others in developing answers to homework problems, but you must write up your own assignments yourself (or create your own spreadsheet analysis for spreadsheet work). ANY SUGGESTION OF SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY WILL RESULT IN A NONDROPPABLE GRADE OF 0 FOR THAT ASSIGNMENT FOR BOTH THE AUTHOR OF THE ORIGINAL AND THE COPY. Quizzes: We will have quizzes on Wednesdays. You will be told in advance when a regular quiz will be given. I also reserve the right to give any number of unannounced pop quizzes during the semester. These quizzes may count as extra credit, or they may count as homework. The number of pop quizzes will be negatively related to the class s level of preparation and participation. Attendance: Class time is when we discuss the most important and or most difficult topics and your input is required. Missing class is a bad idea. However, should you miss a class, YOU must take responsibility for finding out what we covered. You are responsible for collecting any handouts, assignments, or notes distributed during that class session. YOU are responsible for knowing whether any homework was assigned. Homework is due when it is due, even if you missed the previous class. I cannot take responsibility for remembering what individual students who miss a class need; but you, the person with the most at stake, can. So, be sure that you have a good source of information (e.g. a helpful classmate) about what went on during your absence. I will not repeat the lecture or discussion for you during office hours, although I will be happy to go over anything from the notes, which you do not understand. BUS 414 Syllabus S2012 (1) Professor Paula A. Wilson, PhD, CPA Page 3 of 6

4 Participation: Participation is crucial to your understanding and is necessary, both for you and for your classmates. You are responsible for being prepared for each class period, for contributing to the discussion, for asking questions as they arise, and for helping to create a collaborative learning environment. If you want to keep quiet all semester, YOU NEED TO DROP THE CLASS NOW. Your participation score will reflect my assessment of your attendance, your contributions to class discussions, and your overall positive demeanor during class. Re- grading: If you believe your work or exam has been incorrectly graded, you have five week days from the date I return graded work in class to communicate a typed explanation to me in writing. Clearly describe the nature of the complaint, provide references to sources that you believe support your position, and a recommendation for a grade on the particular question. I will respond to you after reviewing the request for reevaluation. Additional Issues Communication: I will be ing you frequently. Your discussion questions and homework will be ed. I will be sending you information about the next day s class; I will be sending you articles; I will be asking you questions. If you use an account other than your Puget Sound , be sure to forward your Puget Sound to the account you use. I from Moodle and it only supports Puget Sound addresses. PLEASE CHECK YOUR EVERY DAY! Electronic Devices: Electronic devices (including, but not limited to, cell phones, pagers, laptops, and personal digital assistants) are not allowed in the classroom without the express permission of the instructor. Activities that are non- relevant to the course, such as using , surfing the web, are considered disruptive activities when class is in session and should not be undertaken. Turn your electronic devices off (not just to vibration mode) before class begins and put them away. Grading: Course grades will be determined as follows: Exams 15% each Quizzes 10% Homework 20% Project(s) 30% Participation 10% Total 100% Grading Criteria: Averages will be computed and grades awarded according to the following scale, with below 60 earning a Failing grade: Grade Percentage Grade Percentage A C A C B C B D B D BUS 414 Syllabus S2012 (1) Professor Paula A. Wilson, PhD, CPA Page 4 of 6

5 TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE: Please note that this schedule is tentative. We will address the topics in the order described below, but our timing may be off a bit, as we adjust the pace of the class to your needs. We will not sacrifice thoroughness or clarity simply to remain on this schedule. Please be ready for minor scheduling adjustments that will be announced in class. (Note: We will NOT change the exam days; however, if necessary, we will simply adjust an exam s coverage). Week Topic 1 & 2 Introduction Management Accounting: Information for Decision Making and Strategy Execution Why are both financial and nonfinancial measures required to evaluate and manage an organization s strategy? 3-6 Cost Information in Decision Making Accumulating and Assigning Costs to Products and Services Activity Based Costing Systems Measuring and Managing Customer Relationships Measuring and Managing Process Performance 7 & 8 Behavioral and Organizational Issues in Management Accounting and Control Systems SPRING BREAK: March & 10 Using Budgets for Planning and Coordination What should decision makers know so that they can evaluate performance? How does one evaluate productivity? How does one evaluate leadership? What quantitative factors indicate strong performance by leaders? What qualitative factors indicate strong performance by leaders? 15 Catch up and review Exam Schedule: Exam 1 Wednesday, 2/22/12 Exam 2 Wednesday, 4/11/12 BUS 414 Syllabus S2012 (1) Professor Paula A. Wilson, PhD, CPA Page 5 of 6

6 Links to Established Educational Goals of Puget Sound I have designed this course to fulfill several of the education goals of our university and of the School of Business and Leadership. These priorities include: 1. Developing the ability to think analytically and engage in active inquiry. In the study of accounting, you will actively develop your abilities to think analytically by analyzing accounting information and assessing the extent to which it reflects the underlying business economics. 2. Mastering the ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing. This course provides you with ample and varied opportunities to develop these skills. You will be expected to articulate your ideas orally and in writing to your classmates and to your professor. 3. Developing an informed appreciation of self and others as part of a broader humanity in the world environment. The study of accounting involves an element of self reflection- you will be called upon to answer for yourself what story do the numbers tell and does this story reflect the underlying economic reality of the business? You will learn to ask important questions and to provide evidence to support their evaluation. 4. Providing for breadth of learning across a variety of fields, while providing for a depth of understanding in a single field. This course gives you the opportunity to develop a depth of understanding of important business problems from an accounting perspective within an institutional context that considers the economic, political, and legal environment. We will also consider the complexities of human behavior and ethics in business. Academic Honesty: Academic honesty is highly valued at the University of Puget Sound. Academic dishonesty can take a variety of forms and includes, but is not limited to the following: plagiarism, which is taking someone else s ideas, words, research, images, computer analyses and misrepresenting it as one s own; submitting the same paper or work for credit in more than one course without the prior permission of the professor; copying homework or analyses completed by someone else; cheating on tests. I will not tolerate academic dishonesty and will seek the harshest penalties possible. Please read and understand the University s policy on academic honesty that can be found at Classroom Emergency Response Guidance Please review university emergency preparedness and response procedures posted at There is a link on the university home page. Familiarize yourself with hall exit doors and the designated gathering area for your class and laboratory buildings. If building evacuation becomes necessary (e.g. earthquake), meet your instructor at the designated gathering area so she/he can account for your presence. Then wait for further instructions. Do not return to the building or classroom until advised by a university emergency response representative. If confronted by an act of violence, be prepared to make quick decisions to protect your safety. Flee the area by running away from the source of danger if you can safely do so. If this is not possible, shelter in place by securing classroom or lab doors and windows, closing blinds, and turning off room lights. Stay low, away from doors and windows, and as close to the interior hallway walls as possible. Wait for further instructions. BUS 414 Syllabus S2012 (1) Professor Paula A. Wilson, PhD, CPA Page 6 of 6